Teaching Music Tomorrow - with Anne Mileski and Victoria Boler : Recent Episodes
Victoria Boler
It's Sunday evening. You're burnt out and your head is still spinning at the chaos of last week's lessons. Monday morning is just around the corner - what will you teach? Anne and Victoria share practical ideas and teaching strategies that you can do first thing Monday morning. Each activity is linked to a larger teaching process or pedagogical concept. Consider us the two music teaching team members you wish you had in your school.
In this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, Anne & Victoria explore different strategies for teaching the recorder. Victoria shares an extension of “Al Citrón,” and Anne shares ideas for “I See the Moon.”
Recorder can be effectively incorporated into our music curriculum in various ways, from using it as an accompaniment or as a mode of improvisation. In this episode, we’ll explore collaborative learning experiences and the concept of rhythmic building blocks and you’ll learn how to simplify recorder technique to introduce notes effectively.
Don’t forget to visit our website to sign up for extra resources from this episode!
For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
anne.mileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
If recorder is something you’re just getting started with, today’s episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow is for you! In this episode, Victoria and Anne share early experiences with recorder and ideas for helping make it an integrated part of your music classroom. Anne shares ideas for starting to play patterns with “Star Light Star Bright” and Victoria shares how to practice hand position with the game from “Al Citrón.”
Don’t forget to visit our website to sign up for extra resources from this episode!
For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
anne.mileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In today’s episode, Anne and Victoria are sharing first instrument experiences. If you’ve never gotten out unpitched percussion with your students, or you’re beginning with early elementary, this episode will give you tangible activities that you can use in your classroom today. Anne shares a rhythm stick exploration for “Willum He Had Seven Sons” and Victoria shares “Engine Engine Number Nine.” Reinforce rhythm and beat with these early experiences.
Don’t forget to visit our website to sign up for extra resources from this episode!
For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
anne.mileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, Victoria and Anne discuss the use of unpitched percussion instruments in the classroom. We’ll highlight the challenges of incorporating instruments and the importance of clear instructions and transitions. Anne shares a rhyme called "Huckleberry Ice Cream,” and Victoria shares “Listen to the Sun.”Tune in to this episode to learn how to engage your students with unpitched percussion instruments and enhance their musical experience.
Don’t forget to visit our website to sign up for extra resources from this episode!
For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
anne.mileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, we’re kicking off our instrument series! In today’s conversation, Anne shares ways to incorporate unpitched percussion into an activity for “2 4 6 8” and Victoria shares how to facilitate instrument exploration with “On a Log, Mister Frog.” Tune in for new ways to make some of your favorite songs fresh with unpitched percussion.
Don’t forget to visit our website to sign up for extra resources from this episode!
For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
anne.mileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Closing Activities are an important part of routine for both students and teachers in Kindergarten music. We want to leave students with a positive, music making experience as they leave the music room. Included in these closing activities are often opportunities for reviewing the learning objectives for the day, as well as the actual nuts and bolts of managing students through the transition of leaving the music room and rejoining their teacher. You as the teacher can decide whether the students need something higher or lower energy at the end of class to make that transition successful.
In this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, Anne shares the book, "The Old Black Fly" and Victoria shares the game "Zapatitos Blancos."
Thank you for listening! Visit our website to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:http://teachingmusictomorrow.com annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagramvictoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Steady Beat, like the other concepts explored in this series, is a foundational concept for all music making. It is unique, as it is often what we think of first when we think of “Kindergarten music.” Remember that exploring steady beat should be experienced based, where students work with pulse as well as the overall flow of music.
Consider ways to keep and show the steady beat in creative ways that also take into account musicality and musicianship, such as using spider fingers or other visual prompts that encourage flow through space and time.
In this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, Victoria shares an activity for "Dale Dale Dale" and Anne shares "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."
Thank you for listening! Visit our website to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow!
For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Echo Singing, in addition to vocal exploration, is one of the many ways that we get students ready to use their singing voices. Singing voice can be a challenging skill to master for many students because there can be a disconnect between what it means to hear singing voices, hear our own singing voice, as well as access the vocal mechanism that allows us to produce a singing voice. In addition to the actual act of singing, knowing when it’s “my turn” versus “your turn” to sing can be a challenging task for students as well.
In this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, Victoria shares an activity for "Oh My Aunt Came Back" and "Old Mister Rabbit."
Thank you for listening! Visit our website to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow!
For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Movement in Kindergarten is essential! Not only is it used to get the jitters out, but is an opportunity to build musical vocabulary through movement exploration. Like any other element in the music room, it’s important to carefully sequence movement experiences so that students feel comfortable and confident (and excited!) to move in ways they may not have been asked to do so before. Movement can be an activity or learning objective in and of itself, but like many other Kindergarten concepts can be used to reinforce learning of other musical skills.In this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, Anne & Victoria share activities for "Old Lady From Baltimore" & "Andy Pandy."Thank you for listening! Visit our website to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:http://teachingmusictomorrow.com annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagramvictoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Vocal Exploration is one of the first musical experiences in Kindergarten. The goal of these activities are to allow students opportunities to use their voices in many different ways, many of which they may or may not have experienced before. Over time, this affords students the experiential vocabulary to draw upon when it comes time to differentiate between labeling different ways of using their voices, including but not limited to singing voice. These activities are used to help students explore those different ways to use their voices, work toward accessing their singing voices, and eventually on to matching pitch.
In this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, Anne & Victoria share the activities "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe," & "Doña Araña."
Thank you for listening! Visit our website to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria discuss extractable patterns: what they are, why they are important, and how to use them meaningfully in individual lessons and your curriculum overall. Listen in for ways to think about digestible chunks for your students’ music learning and how to decide which song to use for which extractable pattern.Thank you for listening! Visit our website to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:http://teachingmusictomorrow.comannemileski.com | @annemileski on instagramvictoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria continue the conversation on transitions by discussing how to move students from one space to another. As you’ll hear, there are many different ways to implement these types of transitions into your music classroom, but they do take practice just like any other musical skill. These transitions are still musical, but serve as transitions from space to space by giving students a job.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria discuss how to successfully move from one activity to another using musical transitions. Musical transitions tend to focus predominantly on one rhythmic or melodic concept, whether or not it is “known” to students. Listen for some ideas for how to implement critical thinking skills for your students in the margins of your lessons, but with intention.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria continue the conversation on how to successful scaffold movement or a game-like activity in the elementary music classroom with movement. Following a discussion about what makes this episode different than the two previous in our movement sequence, we’re sharing a couple of our favorite movement & folk dance inspired activities. Victoria shares Sashay the Donut with implications for using creative movement and creating opportunities for student choice. Anne shares Zemer Atik and how she scaffolds it based on form and duration. See a video of the full Zemer Atik dance here.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria continue the conversation on how to successful scaffold movement or a game-like activity in the elementary music classroom with “play parties.” Anne share “The Old Brass Wagon” and how she uses it for a movement vocabulary builder, adaptable to many different circumstances and grade levels. Victoria shares how to scaffold “Alabama Gal” in a way that allows for students to be successful right off the bat.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria break down how to teach a singing game or activity with your students. We discuss what things to think about when teaching a song for a game, how to scaffold gameplay so that students understand their jobs, and possible extensions for these games and activities for assessment, instruments, and beyond!
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria are talking more about rote song singing. We’re tying up a couple of loose ends from last week’s episode, and sharing two new songs and how we’d teach them by rote to children for the first time. We discuss a “line-by-line” or “my turn, your turn” sequence for the simplest way to teach a song by rote, as well as discuss the element of form with both “Let Us Chase the Squirrel” with Victoria, and “Just From the Kitchen” with Anne.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
On this episode of Teaching Music Tomorrow, Anne & Victoria start at the very beginning: how do we teach a song by rote? If we are going to have a predominantly singing classroom, how do we effectively sequence singing a new song for our students? Listen in for tips, tricks, and a whole lot of discussion on how to teach a song.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In the conclusion of today’s three part melodic arranging discussion, Anne & Victoria round out the ideas we’ve explored throughout the past couple of episodes. We open the episode with a discussion about what it really means to arrange, vs. having a melodic arrangement and how student choice and action is a big part of both.
Victoria shares a sequence for introducing partner songs to students in an AB structured passing game, "El Florón." She provides the partner song for the B section, but provides melodic building blocks for students to compose and therefore arrange the partner song for the A section. Anne shares some thoughts on how to expand melodic arrangements both vertically and horizontally by adding layers and asking students to make decisions on form.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In today’s part 2 of a three part series, Anne & Victoria talk about the next level of melodic arranging, in a way that allows for student agency and voice (pun intended). This episode is focused on models of melodic arranging that start specifically with singing and then allow for opportunities to expand to barred instruments or beyond.
Anne shares a way to take the same song and activity from last week and add another ostinato based on student speech to the arrangement of Peas Porridge Hot. This can be done first with the voice and a limited, prescribed toneset and then moved to the barred instruments. Victoria shares a similar activity that can be paired with popular music for older beginners. Her use of movement, student choice, composition, as well as repertoire selection serve as carrots for those older kids. We also discuss canons and rounds, as well as the difference between exploratory and curricular based goals in the music classroom.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In today’s episode, we’re continuing on the arranging conversation, this time diving into all things melodic arranging. We start the episode with a conversation about why this might feel challenging to both you as the teacher-facilitator, as well as your students, and what makes melodic arranging a bit of a different animal than rhythmic arranging. (If you haven’t listened to the three part series on rhythmic arranging, now would be a good time to do so!)
Anne shares an activity for Pease Porridge Hot that starts as a simple rhythmic ostinato and can be expanded to provide a simple drone for barred instruments. She also shares how to take other simple text suggestions from students to create a simple layered ostinato.
Victoria shares another early elementary activity with Star Light Star Bright and vocal exploration. She shows that young students can still create and compose with these patterns, even if they don’t necessarily have the formal vocabulary or experience (yet!) to name melodic concepts.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In today’s conclusion of our three-part deep dive, Anne and Victoria share two cumulative experiences that will incorporate all of the skills we have talked about thus far. These three episodes have truly built on one another to show how you can start small, add the simplest layer and guide students toward independent musicianship skills.
Anne shares how to take the different layers we’ve discussed with the song Apple Tree and how it can become a performance piece highlighting student choice. Victoria shares the ultimate Tideo mashup with rhythmic building blocks that inspire and incorporate students’ independent music-ing skills.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In this second episode of a three-part deep dive, Anne and Victoria outline two actionable sequences for upleveling rhythmic arranging with your students. You might be surprised about what we consider “level 2” for arranging with your students, and it puts a lot less pressure on the teacher than you probably think.
Anne shares how to take the song Apple Tree and continue along the arranging spectrum, giving students more opportunities to express their creativity and musical fluency with quarter notes and eighth notes. Students have the opportunity to explore new avenues of music making as well as collaboration through this activity. Victoria shares “Obwasimisa,” a passing game from the Akan people in Ghana that reinforces steady beat. This is a great activity for older beginners, as Victoria highlights ways for students to make decisions in a way that practices this foundational skill.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
In this first episode of a two-part deep dive, Anne and Victoria outline two actionable sequences for starting the process of rhythm arranging with young musicians. Anne shares a layered arranging activity with the song, Apple Tree. Victoria shares a movement-based arranging activity with the rhyme, Zapatitos Blancos. Both activities encourage students to experiment with rhythmic durations in a focused and intentional way, while maintaining a playful spirit of exploration. Whether this is your first time facilitating a rhythm arranging experience for your students, or you’ve been leading rhythm arranging for a long time, this episode has something for you!
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Last week on the podcast, we shared a couple of easy to implement rhythmic reading ideas. In that episode, we talked about how rhythmic reading is multifaceted and not a straight forward description. The layers of “reading” are only compounded when we add in melody, or pitches, to reading activities.
Today, Victoria shares an activity for identifying melodic patterns in well known folk songs as well as how to extend it into something that allows for student choice and agency, inching toward composition. Anne shares an activity for practicing stick to staff notation, where students have to read, identify, and translate different melodic notation types. Both processes are strategies you can easily implement in your classroom, asap.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Reading can be used as a one-and-done activity on its own, or we can use it as the launch-point and facilitator of many other musical skills like memorization, arranging and part-work. Today on the podcast, Victoria and Anne share two reading activities you can use tomorrow.
Anne’s game, “Clever Caterpillar,” can be found on her TPT store here. Victoria’s rhyme, “Pin Pin Jarabín” is sourced from “The Spanish-American Song and Game Book,” published in 1942.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Steady beat is the foundation for all musical skill building. Today on the podcast, Victoria and Anne are talking about all the different ways we experience steady beat in our classrooms, and best practices to consider when thinking about steady beat activities.
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria share two of their favorite tried and true activities for steady beat. Anne shares “Umpi the Frog,” a fun passing game rhyme scaffolded for Kindergarten and beyond, and Victoria shares the perfect drag and drop chameleon activity for any music you or your students want to use in the classroom.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Early childhood music is full of vocal development opportunities and explorations. Whether we are talking about exploring higher vs. lower, echo singing, or pitch matching, giving adequate time and care to developing and discovering the singing voice is one of the most important musical foundational skills.
Today on the podcast, Anne & Victoria share a couple activities for vocal development. Anne shares the favorite, “No More Pie” for whole class and individual echo singing and pitch matching, and Victoria shares a fun vocal exploration extension for the rhyme “Jack, be Nimble.” Both of these activities can be part of your music class tomorrow!
Thank you for listening! Visit our website to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
The concept of fast and slow is one of the earliest foundational concepts we introduce to our students. In the land of comparatives, it’s one of the most accessible for our young musicians, because they have so much gross locomotor experience moving fast. The discrimination between learning slow and fast is an important scaffold for talking about tempi and note durations later on in music learning.
Today Anne & Victoria share some of their favorite activities for using faster and slower, as well as some good teaching strategies to scaffold the experience appropriately for your young learners. Both of these activities can be incorporated into your very next music lesson to compare fast and slow.
Victoria's song, "Sulla Rulla," was sourced from nordicsounds.info.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
http://teachingmusictomorrow.com
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Part-singing is one of the most integral parts of the general elementary music classroom. Rounds are an important part of a part-work sequence, but are not the first experience or even the most accessible way to explore part work for beginners.
Today Anne & Victoria talk about how to use rounds in a lesson, an appropriate sequence for teaching these activities, and some tips and tricks to make rounds more successful in your teaching. Anne's song, "Scotland's Burning" is sourced from "150 Rounds for Singing and Teaching," published by Boosey & Hawkes. Victoria’s song, “Sahhaa Sahhaa” is sourced from nordicsounds.info.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Elemental Form is one of the most basic ways to break down music in the elementary music classroom. Whether we are talking about singing, movement, or any other mode of music making, we use elemental form every single day in our lessons. From introducing new song material to scaffolding for students’ creative choice, elemental form is not only a concept on our curriculum roadmap, but a tool for student understanding.
Today Anne & Victoria break down different ways to teach elemental form with two concrete activities you can use in your classroom tomorrow. Not only do we explore activities that highlight form, but we talk about ways to use elemental form as a scaffold for creative choice.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Ostinati seem like one of those simple things that appears on our elementary general music curriculum “to do” list. However, ostinati are definitely not a “one and done” game. As a matter of fact, they're an important part of our music making process that allows students to exhibit their own independent musicianship while also making creative choices.
Today Anne & Victoria are talking about ways to use ostinati in your classroom tomorrow. Ironically, we don’t chat about what we’re going to share ahead of time, but these activities are a beautiful pairing for ways to incorporate different modes of music making and ostinati in your lesson plans this week.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
When you think about the many different modes of music making we use in the elementary general music classroom, you may not immediately think about speech. However, like singing, speaking is an important first step (and beyond!) for all musicians to explore comparatives, creativity, and expression.
Today Anne & Victoria are talking about speech pieces they use in their classrooms. Victoria is sharing a rhyme that can easily be scaffolded for upper elementary grades with layered ostinati, and Anne is sharing something that works well as a first experience for students using speech and making creative choices. Both you can drag and drop into your classroom today.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Picture books are one of the most powerful tools you can use in your elementary music classroom. Aside from bringing in cross-curricular connections from kids’ grade level classrooms, or “singing a story” (which we love!), there are many ways to incorporate books into the music room that promote active music making and learning with our students.
Today Anne & Victoria are talking about two books they like to use with early elementary students–although both could be used with upper grades as well! Anne is sharing “Away We Go” by Migy, and how she uses vocal exploration and movement pathway exploration to enhance the story. Victoria shares “Winter Winter Cold and Snow” by Sharon Gibson Palermo & Christina Song, and how she incorporates rhythmic speech and improvisation. As usual, both activities are complete with how to get started and expand activities with your students.
Thank you for listening! Visit our website here to listen to or watch new episodes. Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Today Anne & Victoria are talking about some good, drag and drop activities with body percussion. We’re starting with the basics, whether you’re looking to work with early elementary students or older beginners, so that you can incorporate creative music making using body percussion no matter what grade, class, or concept you are teaching.
Thank you for listening! Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram
Movement can be a scary word. Although it’s embedded in our music making and our music classrooms, finding opportunities to engage our students in purposefully creative movement can leave us feeling overwhelmed and intimidated. So what do we do? We find ways to simply build upon what we are already doing.
Today Anne & Victoria are talking about the first steps you can take toward facilitating creative movement in your classroom. We start with activities that you are likely already familiar with and doing with your kids, and simply take the next step to facilitate student choice and get their creative juices flowing! You can find the notation for “Willowbee” (also spelled “Willoughby” in some sources) in the Holy Names Song Collection here.
Thank you for listening! Make sure to click subscribe and leave a review from whichever platform you are listening on, and tell us what you’d like to teach in your music classroom tomorrow! For more from Anne & Victoria, click the links below:
annemileski.com | @annemileski on instagram
victoriaboler.com | @victoriaboler on instagram